Broad (English Gold Coin)
The Broad was a British coin worth 20 shillings (20/-) issued by the Commonwealth of England in 1656. It was a milled gold coin weighing 9.0–9.1 grams, with a diameter of 29 or 30 millimetres, designed by Thomas Simon (also called Symonds).
The obverse of the coin depicts the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell as a laureated Roman emperor, with the inscription -- Oliver, by the Grace of God, Protector of the Republic of England, Scotland, Ireland, etc., -- while the reverse shows a crowned shield depicting the arms of the Commonwealth with the inscription -- Peace is sought through war.
The current value of the coin in "very fine" to "extremely fine" condition is £3500 to £6000 as the pieces are very rare, but normally fairly unworn, although a Mr Pinkerton, writing at the time that the coins circulated, noted that many of the coins in circulation were so worn as to be almost flat.
A piedfort version of the coin with an edge inscription is known as a Fifty shilling piece. This is extremely rare, and there are very few examples as it is probably a pattern.
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Famous quotes containing the words broad and/or gold:
“The English language is like a broad river on whose bank a few patient anglers are sitting, while, higher up, the stream is being polluted by a string of refuse-barges tipping out their muck.”
—Cyril Connolly (1903–1974)
“The majority of the men of the North, and of the South and East and West, are not men of principle. If they vote, they do not send men to Congress on errands of humanity; but while their brothers and sisters are being scourged and hung for loving liberty,... it is the mismanagement of wood and iron and stone and gold which concerns them.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)